Vulnerability of Space Settlements to Attacks

There are a variety of attack methods to analyze. The obvious missle
attack has some problems, since the delta-V required to reach the
settlement is mostly spent during the trip out, and this makes the
incoming velocity fairly low. This velocity would be very low, when
compared to the small meteor strikes, which the station will no doubt
be designed to cope with. The kinetic energy of any non-nuclear
warhead will still likely be larger than its explosive chemical
component. But a double hull makes intact penetration difficult, as
any high velocity impact with the outer hull will probably possess
enough force to prematurely detonate the non-nuclear warhead.
Irregardless, the settlers will likely have many hours, if not days,
of prior warning, and unless the warhead contains the intelligence
and maneuverability to avoid counter-measures, such as positioning a
piece of large metal in its flight path. Additionally, hitting a
warhead with a warhead is getting much easier, and the settlers would
have hours to repeatedly try it.

A more likely approach is to slip someone inside, just by having
someone who can pass the security checks. The potential for bio-
terrorism is probably less than a normal city, as the existing ships
and general manned transport equipment make it possible to quarantine
or evacuate large segments of the population. Additionally, if the
designers have any sense, they'd already have counted the passengers
on our 'Titanic' and made sure enough life boats are available.
Plus, in the event of a major hull rupture, I would imagine that each
dwelling, or group of dwellings, should have the equivalent of a
vacuum-shelter, capable of independently maintaining an atmosphere,
until help arrives.

Better attacks would be by having an agent ignite any type of
chemical fuels, already stored, to disrupt the station. In any large
zero-G hanger, one could grab the heaviest piece of metal available,
and start walking it faster and faster. Unlike on earch, a person
can keep putting kinetic energy into a single object, till it slams
throught a bulk-head, wall, or fuel-tank.

More clever attacks might be aimed at the stations food supply, with
any type of crop-disease, such as a blight, rust, or mold, or
extremely pernicious pest. This would provide an additional strain
on station resources, since the required pesticides might not be
immediately on hand. Arson is always a likely option, especially in
any type of confined environment.

Other attacks could be aimed at any large rotating bearings, inherent
in the design of some stations, which would use the station's own
rotational kinetic energy against itself. Any solar collectors that
are also in rotation could have their anchor points attacked, which
would plunge the station into a 'nuclear' winter, rendering it
uninhabitable for quite a long time. It would probably have to be
spun down, once the reflectors are rounded up and ready for re-
attachment.

Any retaliation with asteroid attacks against earth would probably be
politically impossible, and by the time any such attack can be
mounted and executed, which may be a year or more, any conflict would
probably be over.

Just some thoughts.

George Turner
Gturner6ppc@...